SCOTT COUNTY JURY PICKED
THIS MORNING AFTER
MUCH DIFFICULTY; COURT CROWDED

John Barnett to Be Tried First on Charge of Creed Frazier-
Also Charged With Killing Creed's Son, Will Frazier

ACTUAL TRIAL OF CASE BEGINS
TWO O'CLOCK THIS AFTERNOON

Dr. Dougherty, Gate City Physician
Examining Creed Frazier's Body After His Death, Is Expected to Be the
First Prosecution Witness

By THOS. C. HARRIS
Times Staff Reporter

GATE CITY, Va., Jan. 25 --- The jury, which will try
John Barnett for the alleged murder of Creed Frazier, was completed
after difficulty in Scott County circuit court this morning. Examination
of veniremen lasted for over two hours before the final selection was
completed satisfactorily to both prosecution and defense.

Barnett is to be tried first for
the alleged murder of Creed Frazier, and later, if necessary, for the
murder of his son, Willie, instead of being tried for the double murder in
one case.

Following the
completion of the jury, court was adjourned until 2:30 o'clock this
afternoon, at which time actual trial of the case will begin. It is
expected that the rest of the week will be consumed in the hearing of the
case, with the possibility that it may even extend into next week.

Dr. Dougherty,
Gate City physician, who examined Creed Frazier's body immediately after
the fatal shooting, is expected to be the first witness called by the
prosecution when court reconvenes at 2:00 o'clock. All witnesses in the
case were sworn immediately after the jury was completed.

Two Excused

Two of the five jurors selected
at yesterday's session of court, were excused from the panel this morning
when they admitted to having discussed the case after the adjournment of
court yesterday. They were J. E. Lane and Nathan

Carter.

The greatest difficulty was
experienced in the completing of the panel this morning, many of those
summoned for jury duty pleading that they were either physically disable,
hard of hearing, had formed an opinion on the case, had heard the evidence
presented at the preliminary trial, were relations of the slain men and
other various things that rendered them unfit to serve in the trial. Two
even asked to be excused on account of being prejudiced against
punishment. The court readily told them to stand aside when they answered
that they could not, in all conscientiousness, render a verdict of guilty
and recommend the death penalty.

The shooting of
the two men occurred last September 20, Barnett surrendering to Sheriff C.
C. Palmer about an hour afterward. He was immediately lodged in jail and
has spent the last four months there. However, when he appeared in court
this morning he showed no mark of his long confinement and appeared to be
calm and in the best of spirits. His expression was entirely unworried
about the outcome of the charges againsthim and
showed no trace of fear of possible conviction.

It is understood
that attorneys for the defense will present self-defense as the reason for
the fatal shooting, Frazier having been armed at the time.